Office



F. H. GEHDEMAN.`

CLUTCH.

MPucmon FILED JAN.5.1911.

, STATES @FFI-Cai..A

FINDLAY; oHIo, AssIGNoR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, "To

faces against u'lnch they are clamped at sub' st antally". the same {angle` and area, and',A thereby .the 'pressure .of the friction members 1 \\'i ll. be.substantially uniform and danger FRANK IL'GERDEMAN, or

ten*EMAN-TtaoroncorjfrrANY, or MINNEAroLIs, MINNESOTA, AconroBLA'rIoN llheobject ofA my inyentionisgto provideI a clutchinl,which,tlieirfrictioli members will have a .wedging engagement witlrthe surof' slippage ofone of them independently ofl the `other practicallyeliminated. i

',llheninvention 'consists 'generall in, ya?, nous constructions and combinations,v all;

as: hereinafter described` and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

'In 'the accompanying drawings forming.

part of this specification,

lThe figure is ia sectional View of a clutch embodying my invention.

Inthe: drawing, 2 represents a shaft having a. pinion 3 thereon. 4 is a st ud provided on one side of a clutch member 5 and having a. pinion 6 and a socket 7 to receive the end of the shaft 2. A hub S is' `mounled on the clutch 5 on the opposite side thereof from the stud 4 and a pin 9, mounted in said hu'o, has its inner end littingan annular groove 110 in the shaft 2, thereby preventing relati'e longitudinal movement of the shaft and the stud 4, While permitting the hub 8 and the gear member to turn on the shaft. The clutch member 5 is provided with a peripheral rim 11 having a'tapcred friction surface 12 formed by flaring the peripheral rim 11 from one side of the clutch member lo the other. This member, as indicated above, is held against longitudinal move-l ment on the .shaft and forms the normally stationary member of the clutch. 13 has a loose bearing on' the hub S, being held 4in place thereon by suitable means. such 'as a washer 14. This hub 13 is provided with a radially projecting web 15. At theo'uter end of the hub 13l a flange 16 formed, projecting laterally nearly at right angles to the plane -of the web but with sufficient flare or divergence to correspond substantially to the flare of. the surface 12 Aof the clutch member 5, said flange lents 4in ,-Clutches, of which the fol,-`

1 19 ,and the-,Web 20 A hub e i t l eLUfrcrI;v

.Specification of Letters Patent., :Patent-,Qd Dec, j appiictiba and Iaary 1'5, 19'17". serian N6. never.` I l l" 'adapted to contact therewith with a nedg.-

ingI pressure, so that when-the' wel* 15 1s forced toward4 the member 5, these two op-` posing surfaces will grip one another'andf be firmly held together.`

The flange 16 is also `provided with an external frictionsurface'tlS parallel sub; stantially with the'surface 17.V The flange 1G is encireledby 'a gear-19 which is connected'with the flange 16 by a-.\y"eb 20, an annular recess'21being formed between the gear 19 and the friction surface 18.=Tl 1e hub `13, 'theweb 15, the flange 16, the gear are all preferably'formed ofone piece of-metal.` j

AThe third member f the clutch conj'prise's the hub 21 having the usual annular recess has 4a web 2st-radiating therefrom and' ter# minating in a `flange 25 which is adapted to enter the recess21 and contact with the friction surfaLe 18, the flange being flared slightly to correspond to the angle of the surface 18 and t snugly thcreonwhen the parts are pressed together. The flange 25 and the surface 18 will also have a u-edging Contact with one another.

lVhen the melnbers of `theV clutch are pressed together the surfaces 1 7 and 1S will be gripped with substantially the same pressnre,. increasing or decreasing-faith the i 22'for the forkedjendfof the clutch operating leyer 23 and the inner end 'ofthis huh' movement of the hub 21 and consequently the clutch members will he held firmly without danger of slippage,

The following described mechanism, which I do not claim as part of my invention, is preferably provided for holding the hub 13 normally away from the clutch member 5 to prevent its friction surface 17 from contacting with the surface'12 until such time as it is desired to transmit power through the clutch. Recessesfj are formed in the hub 13 to receive coiled springs 27 and balls (or, as shown) pins 28 which are yieldingly held against the clutch member .5 by the tension of said springs, the pressure of the springs being sufficient to normally hold the hub 13 against the washer 14: and prevent its engagement with' the friction surface of the member 5.4

The hub 13 normally bears o n the washer i 14, as'plainly shown in the drawing, and said washer is spaced sufficiently from the hub 8 to allow movement of the hub 13 a sufficient distance to clamp the friction sur-l.

face 17 against the surface of the normally stationary member of the clutch. This 1s accomplished through the movement of the hub 21. A rocking movementof the arm Z3 seats the clutch menber 24 and continued pressure thereon forces the hub 13 toward the left until the frictionsurface 17 is seated on the surface l2 and thereupon all mem-- bers ofthe clutch will be locked together for driving the gear 19. clutch member 24: is withdrawn, the springs will separate the hub 13 from the member 5 and the gear 19 will then be idle.,

I claim as my invention:

1. A friction clutch comprising two outer members having hubs and webs radiating therefrom, one of said members having a peripheral friction surface and normally stationary, the other outer member having a peripheral flange provided with an in third member hav- As soon as the' and said normally normally holding them apart with a yielding pressure, and the engagement of the internal friction surface of said other member'with the o posing surface of said intermediate member forcing said intermediate member against said stationary member for locking them all together.

2. :A friction clutch comprising-two outer members having hubs and webs radiating therefrom, one of said members having a peripheral friction surface and normally stationary, the other outer member having a peripheralwtlange provided with a friction Surface, third member having a hub loosely mounted between said outer members and provided with a radial web and ailange in angular relation thereto between the friction `surface of said normally stationary member and the friction surface of said outer member,- said intermediate member having a gear encircling its flange and connected therewith, a space being provided between said gear and the flange of said third member vto receive said peripheral flange, means for holding said intermediate member and said normally stationary member apart with a yielding pressure, the engagement of the friction Surface of said other member with the opposing surface of said intermediate member forcing said intermediate member against said stationary member for locking them 'all together.

In witness-whereof, I have .hereunto set y my hand this 20th day of December, 1910.

FRANK H. GnnnmiAN.

stationary member for 

